Climate Change - Net Zero Nation: draft public engagement strategy - consultation

Annex C – Glossary

Adaptation: Responding to the changes that we have already seen in our climate and preparing for the challenges we will face as our climate continues to change. No matter how successful we are at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it will still be necessary to adapt to climate change because impacts of past global emissions are already locked in. The second Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme (SCCAP2), published in 2019, sets out how the Scottish Government is responding to climate risks for Scotland.^[24]

Climate Emergency: A situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it^[25]. A climate emergency was declared in Scotland in April 2019 by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP.

Climate Literacy: Competence or knowledge in the area of climate change, including understanding humans' influence on climate and climate's effect on society.^[26]

COP26: The 26th meeting of the Conference Of the Parties (COP), the decision-making body of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP typically meets annually to discuss and agree the global action required to address climate change. COP26 is scheduled to take place in Glasgow in November 2021, having been postponed for a year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The release of gases that have a negative effect on the planet's ability to balance incoming and outgoing energy and therefore altering the climate.^[27] As the most dominant greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, greenhouse gas emissions are sometimes referred to as "carbon emissions". However, other greenhouse gases are also contributing to global warming, particularly nitrous oxide and methane.^[28] 

Green Recovery: Connecting the need to recover from the COVID-19 crisis with the need to address the climate and ecological crises by prioritising "green" measures within government recovery packages. Also referred to as "building back better", a green recovery will direct government funding towards sustainable and low carbon initiatives, innovation, and infrastructure, such as active travel, the circular economy, and the growth of the renewable energy sector.^[29] The Scottish Government is committed to a green recovery from COVID-19.

Just Transition: Ensuring that the benefits of the actions taken to address climate change and transition away from a fossil-fuel based economy are shared by all, and that the costs do not unfairly burden those least able to pay, or whose livelihoods are at risk as the economy changes, whether that be regions, industries, communities, or individuals. 

Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or enhance removal and capture of atmospheric greenhouse gases to prevent climate change. This incorporates a wide range of policies and investment across all sectors, including increasing renewable energy generation, switching to electric vehicles, and expanding forests. 

Net Zero (Emissions): A situation in which any greenhouse gas emissions put into the atmosphere are balanced out by the greenhouse gases removed from the atmosphere, so that the "net" effect is zero emissions. Scotland has committed to 'net zero' emissions by 2045. To achieve this, we must reduce the emissions we produce to a minimum and capture any greenhouse gases we cannot avoid emitting through initiatives like tree planting. 

Open Government: A commitment to ensuring government strategies and initiatives are based on the principles of transparency, integrity, accountability and stakeholder participation.^[30] When we talk about 'opening up government', we mean making governments and decision-makers more accessible, more transparent, and more responsive to the citizens they serve. The Scottish Government is committed to these principles and has been a (local) member of the Open Government Partnership since 2016.^[31]

Wellbeing Economy: An economy in which citizens' wellbeing guides economic prosperity, stability and resilience, and vice-versa. The wellbeing of people and the planet is at the heart of policymaking, ensuring that growth is equitable and sustainable.^[32]